Porsche has a new Cayman GT4 in the works. This isn't it, but it looks pretty damn awesome. And it could even put it into production, in some form or another.
What you're looking at is an experimental rally car being developed by Porsche Motorsport. It's based on the existing Cayman GT4 Clubsport, a stripped-out competition version of the previous-generation Cayman. But where that mode was geared towards circuit racing, this one's being developed for rallying on all the varied surfaces that entails. Though details are scarce, Porsche says it will “collect feedback” at the forthcoming World Rally Championship round in Germany.
The international-level tarmac rally set to take place in Saarland a week from now. After that, it will decide later in the year “if a small car based on a future model could be developed.” In other words, if Weissach opts to go ahead with the project, it'll likely be based on the forthcoming new 718 Cayman GT4, not the outgoing one. But it has yet to make up its mind.
It wouldn't be the first time that Porsche would venture onto the rally scene. It did just that with the legendary 959 supercar, and various iterations of the 911 that are often referred to by the Safari moniker.
Reviving that tail-sliding, fighting spirit sounds good to us, if only so we could see the beefed-up “baby Porsche” in action. Even if the project does go ahead, there's no telling what level of rallying it would be geared towards. Volkswagen exited the World Rally Championship at the end of 2016, and the following season Porsche shut down its LMP1 effort at Le Mans and the World Rally Championship. Take from that what you will and apply it however you think to the prospect of the Cayman rally car emerging from this early development phase. But we'll hold out some measure of hope, at least.
